Explaining the possible reasons behind the attack on Pathankot Air Force Base, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told Lok Sabha that the base was targeted as security forces have tightened their grip on terrorists in the neighbouring state Jammu & Kashmir.
“Why have terrorists shifted towards Punjab? There is one reason. It is because the security forces have tightened their
grip in Jammu & Kashmir,” he said while intervening in a debate on Pathankot attack of January.
He was responding when a member asked why Punjab had been chosen as a target by the terrorists.
According to Parrikar, security forces in Jammu & Kashmir have turned the heat on terrorists as a result of which
they are trying to “shift down wards”.
He said in Jammu and Kashmir, 104 terrorists were neutralised while only 31 security forces were killed in 2014.
“Earlier the ratio used to be 1:1 almost. Now, ratio has shifted in favour of security forces to 3:1. In 2015, it
was 97 and 33,” the Minister said.
